Great Power Competition

Policy Analysis on Great Power Competition

Iran’s Tensions with Azerbaijan Point to Broader Shifts in the South Caucasus

Amid flare-ups in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Iran and Russia are keeping a watchful eye on developments in the South Caucasus, from Israel’s warming relations with Baku to potentially shifting control over regional transport corridors.

Mar 31, 2023

◆

Anna Borshchevskaya
Andrew J. Tabler

A man watches Russian president Vladimir Putin speak on television in the Crimean city of Simferopol - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Russia’s Disinformation Machine Has a Middle East Advantage

The region has been most receptive to Moscow’s war narrative, which Russian state-run media outlets have been permitted to spread far and wide with no Ukrainian or Western counter-narrative.

Mar 23, 2023

◆

Anna Borshchevskaya

Illustration of chess pieces and the Russian and Ukrainian flags - source: Reuters

Video

Articles & Testimony

Middle East Matters, Episode Two: The Mideast Impact of the Ukraine War, One Year On

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a ripple effect on global politics, including in the Middle East.

Mar 23, 2023

◆

Hanin Ghaddar
Grant Rumley
Anna Borshchevskaya

◆ Middle East Matters

Wang Yi, director of China's Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Minister of State and national security adviser of Saudi Arabia Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban shake hands in Beijing in March 2023 - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

The Saudi-Iran Deal Reflects a New Global Reality

Leaders in the Middle East feel more threatened by the competition between China and the United States than by the individual powers themselves, so Washington needs to adapt accordingly.

Mar 16, 2023

◆

Michael Singh

Newspapers at a shop in Tehran display headlines about the China-brokered Iran-Saudi deal in March 2023 - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

What Beijing’s Iran-Saudi Deal Means—and What It Doesn’t

China brokered the agreement, but this does not signal a new Beijing-led order in the Middle East—in fact, it could make regional tensions worse.

Mar 15, 2023

◆

Henry Rome
Grant Rumley

Brief Analysis

China’s Track Record on Middle East Diplomacy

Beijing has responded to regional conflicts with a bevy of multilateral forums, peace plans, and envoys, but without the deeper commitments and follow-through required to resolve them.

Mar 15, 2023

◆

Carol Silber

Crown Prince Muhammad and President Xi walking in Riyadh.

Articles & Testimony

With Saudi-Iran Diplomacy, Is China Pushing the US Aside in the Middle East?

The surprise development may have more to do with resolving the Yemen war than rebuking the Biden administration, but the full implications will take time to register.

Mar 13, 2023

◆

Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

A Year of War in Ukraine

As the conflict enters year two, it remains unclear if the West has fully internalized the right lessons about Moscow, its partners in the “Global South,” or the parameters of long-term victory.

March 2023

◆

Anna Borshchevskaya

Articles & Testimony

How Europe Is Quietly Putting ‘Strategic Autonomy’ into Practice

The hard lessons learned in Syria have given European leaders the confidence and tools they needed to respond forcefully in Ukraine.

Mar 9, 2023

◆

Louis Dugit-Gros

Russian President Vladimi Putin tours an exhibit of Tsarist weapons on display in the UAE in 2007 - source: Reuteurs

Articles & Testimony

Russia Uses Middle Eastern Ties to Mitigate Isolation

By taking largely ambivalent stances on the Ukraine war, states in the region have helped ease the effects of international sanctions against Moscow.

Mar 7, 2023

◆

Anna Borshchevskaya

Turkish President Erdogan meets Ukrainian President Zelenskiy in Kyiv - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Unpacking Turkey’s Non-Binary Ukraine War Policy

Erdogan's stance has been pro-Ukrainian but not anti-Russian, enabling him to strike a delicate balance between NATO expectations, Moscow’s economic lifeline, and domestic political pressures.

Mar 7, 2023

◆

Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

The Treacherous Triangle of Syria, Iran, and Russia

If the Assad regime's two main allies emerge victorious in Syria and Ukraine, U.S. adversaries will likely conclude that the pros of challenging Washington ultimately outweigh the negatives.

Spring 2023

◆

Anna Borshchevskaya

Fikra Forum

The Netanyahu Government’s Approach to Russia and Ukraine

Despite increased pressure on both sides, Netanyahu is likely to maintain Israel's nonaligned approach to the conflict in Ukraine in an effort to preserve his immediate regional interests.

Feb 28, 2023

◆

Daniel Rakov

A Ukrainian flag flies at a naval base in Crimea in 2014 - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

The Ukraine War & the Middle East

One Year On

In a series of policy articles, media presentations, and media appearances, Washington Institute scholars discuss what could lie ahead for Ukraine, the Middle East, and the world as the war enters its second year.

Feb 24, 2023

◆

Shaina Katz

Fikra Forum

The Gulf Navigates a Multipolar World

Amid global uncertainty, Gulf states are seeking to strike a delicate balance between old and new partners.

Feb 24, 2023

◆

Fawzi al-Zubaidi

Fikra Forum

Putin’s Position in MENA and the Turkish Elections

Putin’s shift in MENA policy suggests efforts to smooth the way for Erdoğan’s electoral bid.

Feb 24, 2023

◆

Baraa Sabri

Photo of Chinese and Emirati leaders walking.

Articles & Testimony

Is Ukraine the ‘War Before the War’?

As with Russia, Persian Gulf states may be reluctant to cross Beijing if conflict erupts in Asia, but Washington should remind them that even narrow financial action can help counter any Chinese moves on Taiwan.

Feb 23, 2023

◆

Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

China’s Growing Naval Influence in the Middle East

Current Chinese basing capacity and force commitment in the region seem insufficient to support the level of economic and diplomatic engagement that appears to be Beijing’s new normal, so Washington should prepare for further expansion.

Feb 17, 2023

◆

Blake Herzinger
Ben Lefkowitz

Iranian president Raisi is greeted upon his arrival for a state visit to China in February 2023 - source: Government of Iran

Brief Analysis

Raisi Visits China: More Symbolism Than Substance

The Iranian president’s high-profile Beijing trip reaffirmed the relationship’s limits—and will probably reinforce Tehran’s uninterest in nuclear compromise.

Feb 16, 2023

◆

Henry Rome

Fikra Forum

Variables the United States Should Consider on Dollar Smuggling in Iraq

U.S. pressure on Iraq to prevent dollar smuggling and dinar laundering can protect Iraq’s sovereignty and weaken Iran. But if executed without deliberation, this pressure could allow Russia and China to enhance their positions in the Middle East.

Feb 15, 2023

◆

Frzand Sherko

Supported by the

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East focuses on the region as a setting for heightened competition between the United States and other world powers, such as China and Russia.

Never miss a breaking event on U.S. policy interests in the Middle East. Customize your subscription to our expert analysis, op-eds, live events, and special reports.

Featured experts

Michael Singh

Michael Singh is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Anna Borshchevskaya

Anna Borshchevskaya is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on Russia's policy toward the Middle East.

Grant Rumley

Grant Rumley is the Goldberger Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he specializes in military and security affairs in the Middle East.

Regions & Countries

Issues

Great Power Competition

Policy Analysis on Great Power Competition

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

Featured experts

Regions & Countries

Issues

Great Power Competition

Policy Analysis on Great Power Competition

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

Sign Up for Email Updates from The Washington Institute

Featured experts